Bucs to promote assistant Thad Lewis to quarterbacks coach
Confirming this news Geno apparently broke. Thad Lewis has been elevated to the Bucs’ QB coach, per sources.
Lewis originally joined the staff as the Bill Walsh Coaching Fellow under Bruce Arians in 2020. He stayed on and spent the last two seasons as assistant WR coach. https://t.co/j8PHJNQWUi
— Carmen Vitali (@CarmieV) February 21, 2023
The revamping of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offensive coaching staff continues with the promotion of assistant wide receivers coach Thad Lewis to quarterbacks coach, according to a surprising source: Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (via Fox Sports’ Carmen Vitali).
While the contract has not been signed according to Fox Sports’ Greg Auman, Smith does likely have an inside source, his former QB coach and new Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales.
Lewis joined the Bucs’ staff in 2020 as a coaching intern through the Bill Walsh coaching fellow program before he was promoted to assistant WR coach where he served for the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Before joining Tampa’s staff, Lewis was an offensive analyst for the UCLA Bruins under Chip Kelly.
A journeyman quarterback in the NFL, Lewis entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2010 and spent time on nine different team’s rosters until 2017. He started one game for the Cleveland Browns in 2012 and five games for the Buffalo Bills in 2013, but never saw the field outside those two seasons.
One of the few holdovers from the offensive staff brought in by former head coach Bruce Arians, Lewis appears to be on the fast track towards more prominent coaching positions. This appears to be what Arians had in mind for Lewis according to the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud:
Thad Lewis was a coach Bruce Arians wanted to groom as offensive coordinator. Though still not official until the contract is signed, he will become the Bucs QB coach.
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) February 21, 2023
Lewis should be a key staff member for the Bucs in 2023. With Kyle Trask the only quarterback under contract, the Bucs have little certainty at the position. They will need Lewis to provide a steady hand to guide the quarterback room and potentially develop a new, young starter.
